It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn
by theboyfriend-and-theprettygirl
Summary: After Stefan's devastating rejection pulled her world even further apart; Caroline decides to switch off her humanity and gamble her way through Las Vegas. What happens when someone from her past turns up to bring her back to Mystic Falls and he won't take NO for an answer? [Rated M] KLAROLINE


**Title: **It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

**Summary**: After Stefan's devastating rejection pulled her world even further apart; Caroline decides to switch off her humanity and gamble her way through Las Vegas. What happens when someone from her past turns up to bring her back to Mystic Falls and he won't take NO for an answer? [Rated M] KLAROLINE

**Disclaimer/ Note from the author: **This story is dedicated to my twitter sister ( NatGirl93) It sort of popped into my head one night and I knew I had to write it for you. I hope you like it babe. I love you xo

**Date Published: **2 February, 2015

© theboyfriend-and-theprettygirl, 2015

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**Chapter One:** Viva Las Vegas 

_Bright light city gonna set my soul,_

_Gonna set my soul on fire_

_Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn. _

_So get those stakes up higher..._

"Come on black 32" Caroline mumbled over and over again, as she waited for the roulette wheel to stop spinning. _She was close this time. She could feel it. This was going to be the spin that turned all her luck around..._

After what seemed like the longest minute of her life; she waited impatiently as the numbers of the wheel slowly became more visible and the ball dropped forcefully into its random slot.

_Come on black 32...please let me win something BIG!_

"Red 16." The dealer called out loudly, handing over some chips to the people at her table who had guessed the winning combination.

"Fuck." Caroline cursed loudly, before rolling her eyes at dealer and the old man that had both glared disapprovingly at her. "Bite me."

"Is there a problem, Miss?" The dealer asked unamused.

"Yeah there _is_ a problem." She snapped quickly. "I have been sitting at this table for the last two.._maybe three.._God forsaken hours and my number hasn't been coming up. _Like at all._ So what the hell is going on?"

"Well, gambling is all about odds and probability-"

"Don't talk back to me like I'm some sort of idiot." She said, cutting him off quickly by holding up a hand in the air. "This game is _fucking_ rigged and I want to know why you're cheating? Does the Casino give you some sort of extra commission for _changing_ the odds? Is that it? Hmmm?"

"Miss, accusations of this sort can get you kicked from the game."

"I'm sorry...is that meant to scare me?" she asked folding her hands over her chest. "Because let me tell you something... _Ev-an_..." she said reading his name badge in a predominately bitchy tone for extra emphasis, before continuing on confidently, "...you _don't_ want to mess with me, buddy. You have no idea what you're going up against. Don't let this body _fool_ you...Trust me."

"What's the hold up, dealer?" The old man to the left of her grumbled impatiently.

"Hold your horses, grandpa. What are you in a hurry for?..._to go and die?_ I see you've been cleaning up big tonight. Maybe you should take your winnings and call it a night, before they cheat you out of all of it, too."

"Miss, I am now giving you your first and _only_ warning...if you continue with this sort of behavior or disrupt me again while I am taking bets...I will ask the bouncers over there to escort you out of the Casino."

Caroline rolled her eyes quickly. "Five Hundred dollars on black 32. My number _better _come up this time." she hissed loudly, before taking a sip of her bourbon.

"Last chance to place your bets." The dealer said to the others around the table. "No more bets." he said before giving the wheel a big spin.

Caroline watched as the wheel spun faster and faster, before it slowly started to lose its momentum and the ball dropped into a slot with a loud thud.

"Red 16." the dealer called out loudly.

"You've got to be fucking _kidding_ me." Caroline snapped, shaking her head. "Red 16 again? _Back to back?_ How can you stand here and tell me that this game is not rigged?!"

"Miss, I'm afraid I warned you what would happen if you disturbed me during the game again...Frankie, Johnny...please escort this lady out of the Casino."

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me." she said, breaking free of the two bulky bouncers that had placed a hand each on her shoulders.

"Time to go, lady." One of them- the dumber one of the two she assumed- spoke to her aggressively. "Let's go Blondie."

"I'm not finished with you, Evan." Caroline said standing up and pointing a finger to him. "I'll be waiting for you when you're shift is over. If you had just listened to me, you would've left with your life tonight but now I plan on eating you for sport."

"What?" Evan and the two bouncers all asked in unison.

"This lady is nuts." One of the bouncers said to the other, who nodded in agreement.

"I think what this lovely lady meant," The familiar sound of a smooth British accent said, making Caroline turn around quickly in complete shock. "...was that she can _beat you at sport._"

"No she said 'eat him for sport'. I heard her clearly." The smaller of the two bouncers said.

"That's what I heard too." Said the other.

"I think you misunderstood." Klaus growled, touching their shoulders. "Go back to your posts and forget this ever happened."

"You compelled them to forget? Geez you've gotten..._soft_." Caroline sighed heavily. "Are you going to compel all the others too? Don't compel Evan...I plan on feeding on him and then bleeding him dry for costing me half a million."

"_Half a million dollars?_ You_ lost _half a million dollars tonight?" Klaus scoffed, before laughing loudly.

"Yes. And it's not funny, so _stop_ laughing." she said kicking him hard.

"I'm calling the cops..You are a psycho!" Evan called out behind them but they both ignored him.

"Come on love, let's get you to bed." He said leading her away from the roulette table.

"But I haven't finished playing." She whined loudly.

"Oh, but I think you have, Caroline. I've been watching you for the past half hour and you've done more threats than actual playing."

"You've been watching me? _Ugh stalk me, much?_ It's nice to know that your puppy dog _crush_ hasn't gone completely away in the last year we've spent apart. I must admit, it's kind of flattering..."

The corners of Klaus' mouth pulled together in a smug smirk, but he did not say a word.

"Wow. That's a first." Caroline said sarcastically. "Klaus Mikealson, the Original badass Hybrid is rendered speechless!"

"Did you make a reservation in this hotel?" he asked ignoring her.

"Uh...What do you think, genius?"

"What floor are you on?" he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

Caroline rolled her eyes and quickly pulled out her room key-card from the back of her jean's pocket. She stuck the key-card into the slot in the elevator at hit the very top button.

"The penthouse suit. Very nice." Klaus said impressed, as the elevator doors closed in front of them. "It's a pity that you couldn't compel the dealer to let you _win_ at Roulette."

She glared at him quickly.

Klaus threw this hands in the air defensively. "Only joking, love. Relax."

Caroline sighed heavily. "FYI: you can't compel a dealer to spin the wheel on the number you want. That all comes down to odds and probability. In case you didn't know." she said hotly.

He chuckled loudly. "It's a good thing you compelled some poor sucker for half a million dollars, then...am I right?"

"And how do you know that they weren't _my _winnings?" she scoffed loudly, pretending to be insulted.

"Don't insult me love, I saw how...'_well' _you play."

Caroline slapped his shoulder playfully.

"So.." he said as an awkward silence fell over them.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?"

"I thought I'd try my hand at playing some blackjack, Caroline. What's your excuse?"

"In Las Vegas?" Caroline snapped, rolling her eyes. "They _don't_ have Casinos in New Orleans?"

"I've always wanted to see the infamous Strip-"

"Who was it?" she asked quickly cutting him off mid-sentence.

"What are you talking about?"

"_Who _spilled the beans? Was it Stefan? Or Elena? I _bet_ it was Stefan. That sneaky, sly little-"

"Caroline, don't flatter yourself sweetheart. I told you, I only came to play some blackjack. But bumping into you has been a nice, refreshing surprise."

"You're a terrible liar." she said, walking out of the elevator when the doors opened up to her penthouse suit.

"Wow. This is remarkable." he said following her inside.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders quickly. "Meh...the penthouse at Ceasar's Palace had a better view."

"Where are you going?" he called out when she disappeared from sight.

"Getting drinks." she said holding up bottles of Bourbon, Whiskey and Vodka when she had resurfaced. "Can you get the glasses?"

"I don't think we need any drinks, love. You've had enough tonight. What's say we get you to bed?"

Caroline frowned. "Party pooper."

"Come on dear, let's go." he said trying to push her into the direction of her suite.

"One drink..."

"No."

"Come Klaus! One drink for old times' sake?" she begged. "Please?"

Klaus sighed heavily. "Fine. One drink and that's it."

"You've changed too much..." Caroline mumbled from behind the bar as she started working on the drinks. "It never used to be this _hard_ to have a drink with you. You practically used to _beg _me every time you saw me at the Grill...remember that? Remember your infatuation with me? I still can't believe how obsessed with me you were back th-"

"I'm sorry, love." Klaus said snapping Caroline's neck from behind without her suspecting it. "I really hope you don't hate me. But you need rest."

Klaus carried her limp, lifeless body in his arms and headed towards her bedroom. He laid her gently down on the bed and took of her boots. He adjusted the pillow at her head, to make her comfortable and he covered her with the bed quilt.

Taking one last look at her resting peacefully, he lent over her and planted a small kiss on the top of her forehead. "Forgive me." He lingered there for a second, taking in the smell he used to know so familiar, the _Caroline _smell that he had fancied all those years and now went without.

He gently reached over her to shut the lamp on the bedside table next to her and the room instantly became dark.

He knew her too well. He expected her to be mad, guns blazing tomorrow morning...but tonight, she needed rest. A lot of it. He would deal with her mood tomorrow. It would all be worth it at the end.

**Author's Note: **

So, I have a confession...whenever I write for Klaroline, I always freak out that I'm not writing them good because I ship Forwood and I usually only feel comfortable writing Tyler/Caroline fics...so if you by any chance like this story or even if you want me to continue...please, pretty please with a cherry on top...**leave me a review?** Thanks.

Nat baby, if I wasn't sick I would've made this chapter longer but I'll just have to put the rest into the next chapter. I hope you liked it :) I love you!xoxoxoxo


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